Strength
by Yana-chan
Summary: ***Updated*** Promise broken and death apparent, does Zoro have the strength to come back?
1. Stronger

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or its characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this, I'd be molesting Zoro.

Words in _italics_ represent Zoro's thoughts. Words between the  = equal signs = quotes the past.

Strength

Part 1: Stronger

Roronoah Zoro, legendary pirate hunter, often called a monster who has contained the fates of many within his three treasured swords, with a habit of ruthlessly marking death upon those ill-fated, was filled with anticipation. 

The man that held his destiny had come to him. All the nights awaiting to see the one who held what the young swordsman had desired since he was a child had in no way even begun to inhabit the thirst that he felt at that moment.

It was time to take what he had vowed to possess. He smirked.

"The Ultimate Power!" The possessive thirst ached within his anxious body, barely suppressed shaking over powering him. All his hopes, all her dreams, lied in the fallen body of a single man. "I have looked for you for a long time."

Mihawk raised an elegant eyebrow, "What do you want from me?"

Zoro removed his bandana from his left arm and enthusiastically retied the black material around his head. Earrings dangling, he repeated, "The Ultimate Power."

The man know as "Hawk Eye," casually sat upon his throne chair, hands clasped over his crossed knee, closed his eyes in calm contemplation. 

"You're free, right?" Zoro's smirk widened, "Why don't you fight me?"

At this, a voiced wave crashed, loud outbursts to whispered fears surrounded the two.

"He is Zoro!" 

"Roronoah Zoro of the three swords style!"

"The Pirate Hunter?"

"Him?"

In a single graceful leap, Mihawk left behind his floating comfort and joined Zoro on the mangled ship's debris. Arms crossed over his bare chest, eyes hidden, much like Zoro's, beneath a wide brimmed velvet hat, he mauled over his challenge, "Even the greatest swordsman won't fight me because they can estimate their power and cannot compare it to me. Your strong will that wants to challenge me either comes from your brave heart . . .," he paused, " . . .Or from your foolishness."

Unaffected by the man's words, the former pirate hunter prepared himself. Swords in each hand, his most fond one in mouth, he replied, "It is my dream . . ." _But hers first . . ._ " . . . and my promise to my best friend." _My sea and my anchor, all in one._

"This does not make you any better," the unmoving hawk eyed man stated.

In stance, Zoro awaited in expectancy the arrival of Mihawk's massive sword. But it never came.

"Hey, what do you think your doing?!" He asked, a vein popped onto his forehead in annoyance. 

Mihawk had not reached for his weapon of choice, but rather, had presented a tiny dagger to Zoro's sight. Taking notice of the confusion in the young man's eyes, he explained himself slowly, "I am not a stupid person to use all of what I have to hunt a rabbit." He looked down at his piteous knife, then glanced up at Zoro, almost as if looking at a child. "Unfortunately, I do not carry a smaller knife than this one."

Rage drowned out what little patience Zoro had left. "Man, watch your words," Body in position, swords aimed, he charged towards the owner of the smug half smile, "otherwise, you'll regret it when you die!"

Without a blink, he watched as Zoro swiftly ran towards him, the intention of death evident in his eyes, and thought nothing of it. "You have yet to see the real world."

Head tucked low. Chin touching his collar bone. Arms crossed. Swords held high. 

"KILLER SWORD!" Zoro shouted, unleashing his strongest technique, envisioning Mihawk's death as the result, aligned his hand held swords into a steady "X" shape, while the blade held in his mouth crossed the others in the middle. Victory only seconds away, Zoro awaited the strike. Yet, the expected glorious contact was never made.

In disbelief, Zoro's eyes widened in shock. 

_What?!_

The single minuscule knife retained the force of all three swords . . . and Mihawk showed no evidence of strain. 

I can't move. How? No one has ever been able to survive this technique, let alone stop it! But he can stop me with this . . . this . . . TOY?! How? Why?

The dumbfounded swordsman stared into the older man's unwavering golden eyes, dismayed.

How can this be? What is the difference between us two? Why is he so different from me?! This is impossible!

Battle cry erupted, Zoro charged again.

_The real world can't be so different!!!_

*clang* *clang* *clang* *clang*

Millions upon millions of metallic clangs surrounded him. Once comforting, was now suffocating and painful to his ears.

Nothing is connecting! I . . . I . . . can't . . . 

He fell on his back, cold perspiration slowly dripping from his body. With little hesitation, he picked himself up and bellowed a new cry to the skies. 

*clang* *clang* *clang* *clang* 

_After all I've been through, all I get is this toy?!_

*clang* *clang* *clang* *clang*

"I practice to WIN!" 

=It is lucky of you to have been born as a boy. I've always dreamed of being an invincible swordsman.=

You would have been . . .

=One day either you or I will become an invincible swordsman! Okay?=

"I've practiced so hard to defeat this man!"

He thought of the tears shed, her warmth and essence still left on her sword. He thought of her dreams lost . . . and his resolve attained.

=I will become stronger for her=

I thought I had . . .

=I will become stronger! Stronger!=

_I want to be stronger!_

=Stronger . . . for her. Not for myself, for her!=

=I want to become an invincible swordsman!=

_I thought I HAD!_

Mihawk's expression turned serious as he asked, "What is your purpose? What do you want from this ultimate power, weakling?"

Thrown back again, feet having only tasted the floor for a swift moment before his tiring limbs returned to his mission.

In despair, Zoro began to feel fear in his heart. What if he lost? The shame in his heart brought images of Kuina- young and beautiful, smiling proudly with a twinge of sorrow-and Rufi - a toothy grin, filled with his own hopes and dreams.

_Hn, what had he said once? The strongest swordsman and the king of pirates, the perfect combination? Can I really destroy this belief?_

He reposition his hand held swords over Kuina's, back arched.

Can I really break my vow to her? I want to be . . . I promised to her I'd be . . .

"LION KILLING SWORD!!!"

_THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD!_

He had not felt the pain. He had not felt the cold blade. All he felt was his worried heart being drained of all its fears. The fear of death, the fear of losing, the fear of shame, the fear of regret, all poured out of his beating soul in the form of warm crimson. He no longer feared, because he knew the outcome now. It wasn't an if or a maybe. Zoro knew. He knew. 

He had lost.

"Do you want this knife to go through your heart? Why aren't you stepping back?"

Although he knew this, accepting it was another aspect entirely.

"I . . . I don't know," he replied," but I feel that if I take a single step back I have broken my promise, and I will not be able to stand here again."

"Right. That is called losing."

Somehow, Mihawk's comment had not only sounded absolutely true to the defeated young man's ears, but emitted a laughter from deep within himself.

"Haha, I guess that's why I can't step back!"

Mihawk lost his superior gaze and stared intently at Zoro, confusion marring his sophisticated manner. 

"Even if it means that you will lose your life?"

Zoro, with a gleam in his eye, answered steadily, filled with confidence, "If I have to lose, I'd rather DIE!"

Eyebrow arched, the experienced swordsman removed the knife from Zoro's chest. Looking upon him with new found admiration, he asked, "What is your name, kid?"

"Roronoah Zoro."

"I'll remember that. I have not met a man to possess such a strong will as yours in a long time." Reaching for his giant jewel rimed ebony sword, facial expression changed, he continued, "To repay this, I will use the black sword, the strongest sword in the world, to end your life."

More and more voices. Shocked screams of unbelief, Joni, Yosaku, Rufi, and . . . 

Kuina.

Zoro promptly connected his fisted knuckles, spinning his swords into a circular motion.

This is my final move. If this doesn't work it'll cost me my life. I have to choose . . . the path of an invincible swordsman  . . . or death.

"The secret technique of the three swords style! TRI ELEMENTS SWORD!!!"

In panic, he felt his swords crumble to pieces. But not Kuina's. It held strong and his panic left him as he realized this. The only thing which mattered more to him than his own death was not injured. With the departure of the panic, came awareness.

_I've . . . lost. I can't defeat him!_

The resigned swordsman's blood ran freely from his mouth, now feeling cold to him, as if he were already dead.

Is this the true power of the strongest? I never thought this day would come.

The wielder of the black blade was now to Zoro's back. Realizing this, he quickly turned to face him, arms wide open.

"What are you doing?" Mihawk asked in surprise.

He smiled the smile of a man ready to die. "It's shameful . . . for a swordsman to be hit from behind."

"Splendid!" Mihawk exclaimed in genuine pleasure.

And as he had felt his fears escape his heart earlier, the new coursing nectar of life released everything that Zoro held true. Every little part, every little aspect of his being left him then. Empty of his entity, he let go. 

I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry . . . I'm . . . so . . . sorry . . .

He heard Rufi cry out his name, he heard Mihawk advising him to not give up his life so easily . . . 

My blood . . . so cold . . .

He heard his sword clash to the wooden floor, he heard the splash of the sea embrace him . . .

And he heard her sob.

_My sea, my anchor, have you come to end my voyage?_

The End of Part One. TBC.

Ending notes: This wasn't really the idea I had planned for this fic, initially. The first chapter is simply the basis for chapter two, which was my main purpose. This is my first One Piece fic and most likely the first fic I'll ever finished. Let's hope ^^; Goal: One more chapter, maybe two. Overall, I wanted more Kuina, so I'm compensating for it by writing about her, which I haven't YET @.@; Zoro is my absolute favorite and though I'm a new fan to One Piece, I wanted to contribute something to the OP community. Fics are limited, might as well add to 'em, ne? 

In short, I'm not recapping the series, just this scene. C&C is appreciated, praised, and begged! Much thanks to Mangascreener.com ^_^


	2. Footprints

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or its characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this, I'd be molesting Zoro.

Words in _italics represent Zoro's thoughts. Words between the  = equal signs = quotes the past._

Strength

Part 2: Footprints

He used to dream. Dreams of being all grown up . . .  dreams of battles won . . . dreams of cheering and recognition. In these dream, he had known the world and had conquered it. In his hands he held the skill and the strength, standing proud. He would smile and laugh, look up at the stars and say, "We did it! I kept my vow. I am now the strongest!"

As he sank into the burning sea, he felt the sting of loss and regret. This was not what Roronoa Zoro had dreamt as a child. This - the blood, the pain, the tears, her cries - was not how he had pictured the chance of his life, his intended victory. As the darkness swallowed his lifeless body, he began to think, this was not how he had pictured his death either. 

In bars and Inns, Zoro had heard the talk of the sailors and pirates. The boastful loud voices booming on about voyages taken and treasures attained. Death was often a topic of discussion, considering their field of work.

_Death in itself is quick enough, they would say. You wait and then the pain goes away. Soon the light will come and it's over. You're dead._

Instead of the peaceful descriptions of death that he had overheard, the dying youth felt his skin and insides twist in pain. He felt the water in his lungs drowning him, agony and burden of life being torn from his shoulders. Although he gave them away willingly, it had hurt more than any wound taken ever had. And as his soul ripped his body apart, burning and torturous, he felt no more. It was over. 

_So . . . I'm dead . . ._

The darkness came then and left him no more thoughts than his single curiosity, which seemed even to him an odd thing to be inquisitive about.

_Hn. I wonder if my death crushed all her hopes as hers did mine. Is that why I can hear her cries, like echoes of my own years ago?_

++++

The light had not come, nor had he seen a tunnel. He felt cold wet grass underneath his finger tips and inhaled the freshness that came with it. The birds above chirped happily as the bright sun warmed his cold skin, now dry from the harsh sea water. He cracked his eyes open a bit and saw the sky above him, filled with endless blue and fat puffy clouds. 

He stretched a bit, letting out a tearful yawn when he paused for a moment.

When had his muscles seemed so light? Puzzled, he lowered his arms and slowly led his still sleep-filled eyes down at his hands. Plump childlike hands with stubby little fingers looked back at him.

He blinked. 

_Wait a sec . . ._

He sat up abruptly, now fully awake and alert with panic. In a rushed frenzy, he patted his entire body. Feet, legs, torso, neck, arms, face, head - all much too small and short - greeted his touch.

"Morning, loser. Thought you'd never wake up!" 

The familiar voice made Zoro halt his fevered ministrations, hands dropping limply to his sides. After all the years, he could still recognize her voice.

"K-Kuina?!"

Shocked, surprised, confused - no words were enough to express his feelings over seeing Kuina with his own two eyes again, standing before him with her usual teasing smirk, as if she always had some secret about her.

"Long time no see. After you left, this place became quite boring," she motioned to her surroundings. 

The Dojo, the smalls fields, the road leading to the clearing where Zoro usually trained as a child - it was all there. A pang of nostalgia suddenly hit him, how long ago had it been when a battle was simply two children playing with wooden swords? 

She sat down next to him, running her hand through her short blue hair, and smiled sadly at him.

"I . . . I don't understand. Why are you here? Why - Why am I here?"

She said nothing for a moment and hugged her legs to herself. A calm breeze blew and she turned her gaze to the dojo before her.

"You know, sometimes I sit here and wonder why things happen as they do. If I hadn't of died, would I have been a great swordsman? I would have been about 22 now."

Zoro gulped, "A-are you an angel?"

Kuina turned to him, surprised, and began to laugh. Zoro frowned.

"Haha! No, I'm not. Although, I am sure that that version of me exists as well. You see," she reached out and held his hand as he blushed slightly, "I can touch you just fine, because we are the same. But if I touch anything else . . ." 

Letting go of his hand, she reached over to a nearby tree and gently laid her hand to it. Her hand went through the solid object like water. Curiously, Zoro did the same. Where he should have felt the rough tree bark instead there was nothing, like it was all an illusion.

"But . . . why?" He asked her.

"It's a bit hard to explain. Real angels hold the souls of those who have departed, unless you did not deserve to live on as one. But everyone, regardless, leaves a sort of, well, footprint behind. Like memories of special places or special times, a remain of the person you once were is left. I suppose that is what people call ghosts, the embodiment of a memory."

She shifted and held her legs to herself again, laying her head on her knees. "I am one of these footprints. I hold everything that makes Kuina, well, Kuina. But I do not hold her future, I'm only a shadow of her past. Something holds us here, mostly regrets. That's why you're here."

Zoro closed his eyes, absorbing this new information. "Sometimes," he said carefully, "I would see you. I'd be training and I could _feel_ you. I always thought it was just me, that my guilt made up these little apparitions. To me, your death was like sucker punching someone to win a fight, dishonorable and unfair. You were cheated. Somehow, I was cheating you. I won without a challenge, you know? I was left with the chance that you couldn't have anymore. And . . . and I'm sorry for that."

His eyes looked up to her then, showing a profound sadness. She was thinking about what he had said and it suddenly made him nervous. Everything she had ever said or did had always made such an impact on who he was and who he had become. He had lived for a decade blaming himself for her death, even if it hadn't been his fault. 

She hugged him then, an intense hug that pressed him to her as she rested her head on his shoulder. He was a little taken aback at first but a moment later he felt the hot tears stream down his cheeks and land on her white shirt, making it clear and transparent. He clung to her desperately as he wept into her shoulder, feeling as young as he appeared. 

Years. 

_Years._

_So many years. _

=Stupid! You just promised me yesterday! Why did you have to go and escape?!=

_Why did you have to leave me alone with my dream? Why did you have to leave me with yours as well? How fun is a dream if you have to accomplish it alone? _

"Why did you have to die!? I tried really hard for you! I swear! But at the first sign of failure, I gave up. I don't know why I did. I know I couldn't win, but I also knew I could have lived through it. But . . . I - I gave up! I let go! I heard you crying and I thought, maybe I won't have to be alone anymore."

"Shush, shush," she kept repeating, caressing his head. Zoro hated feeling like a child, even when he had been one himself. He knew what he knew and he knew that the only part of him that was truly a child was his body and the memories. He had grown up. Why was he crying?

But he couldn't stop. Years of tears and guilt, all poured out of him in loud cries. He wanted to be empty. Empty of all the regret that had haunted him. Because he knew she had forgiven him. As much as he knew that she had never blamed him in the first place.

"I . . . I just wanted to be stronger," he sniffled, calming down. He loosened his grip around her and hiccuped slightly, his face flushed and tear stained. 

"Funny, so did I. It took me a long time to realize that there is more to a dream than the craving and wanting of it, no matter how strong. Doubt has a way of making challenges look even more challenging, like trying to climb a huge mountain when you know that you are so very tired and thirsty and hungry. I doubted my dreams and you gave me back my strength. I had to do it for me, despite the hardships and odds."

"People change. Through all the sitting here, watching my father try to good-naturedly make little Kuinas and Zoros out of his students, and he says this quite often, I came to terms with many things. I was arrogant and stubborn, I thought I was the best and strongest and no one could beat me. But there will always be someone who -could-, it is up to you if they actually do. Do you understand?"

Zoro wiped the last of his tears away from his eyes and nodded, grinning. "I understand!"

She grinned with him, "Good!"

She raised herself to her feet, brushing away some damp warm grass from her knobby knees. He looked up at her curiously as she pulled him up to his feet and tugged at his hand.

"Come on!"

Kuina led him into a swift jog, running down a familiar path. A short while later they came to a grassy field, the same one where they had fought their last fight and had made a life's vow. 

"Why are we here, Kuina?"

She grinned at him again, full of mischief. 

"It's time to go! Thanks for visiting me. I waited an entire decade to be set free. I'm sure that after you meet Kuina, this shadow, this footprint, of her will disappear."

The wind blew again and he noticed that the sun was setting, streaks of orange and purple painting the sky. 

"What?! What do you mean?" 

She giggled and let go of his hand. Arms outstretched at her sides, she looked above at the colored sky and spinned around and around, laughing all the while. She stopped and fell to the long green grass, dizzy with laughter. 

"You are not dead. This is just a hiccup of sorts, your life has taken a pause. But when you do die, this footprint of yourself will not return. Your regret here is over. You still have one unsettled though, as do I. But I am sure that the real Kuina will settle our last regrets. Remember, all I am is an after thought. She still waits for you, the person I would have become."

Kuina looked up at him from her fallen state, laughter gone and eyes serious, "I had only two regrets, you know. The first was obvious while the other took me a long, long time to realize. My first regret was causing you, yourself,  such regret. You regretted my death and blamed yourself for it in some way. I cannot feel your pain as she does, just as I cannot see you beyond this place as she does, but I would watch you all those years you stayed here. I watch you grow up and I know what pain I caused you. I would have felt the same pain had it been reversed, had I known. But you will be all right, and I have no other reason to stay here when my other regret will leave me."

"I know what my second regret is, but what could possibly be yours?"

The remaining sun radiated off of her as she lay there, smiling her little secret smile again, hands folded over her stomach. 

"My second regret, my true regret, was having never told you"

He blink, confused, "Uh . . . tell me what?"

"How I felt."

That was when a bright light washed over the field, over Kuina, over the sunset and trees and grass. Everything - covered in an intense white light. Blinding at first, he shielded his eyes. And then he saw her.

Tears filling her eyes, her face contorted into a scowl. He saw her fist coming towards him and, unexpectedly, felt a strong painful blow to his nose and promptly passed out, white light and all.

End of part two. TBC.

Ending notes: Err . . . It's been a -very- rough past two days. I've cried rivers and clutched enough plushies (especially my Zoro plushie) to know that typing up a story when you can hardly see the monitor through your bleary tear-filled eyes isn't a very good thing to do. In all honesty, I have no clue what I just typed. I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed or odd or for whatever other negativities it contains (like OOC-ness). But writing soothes me, despite how horrible it can be, and at least I got out this belated chapter in the process.

Just one more chapter, somehow I was thinking to just end it but I wanted something more out of Kuina. I really -like- Kuina, I suppose because she reminds me of myself in many ways. Anyway, enough rambling. 

C & C appreciated, praised, and begged! Again, much thanks to Mangascreener.com. Also, massive thanks to my Zoro plushie for letting me cry on his pretty green hair ^_^;


End file.
